Nike has unveiled a new sneaker model that it calls «the world’s first electrically powered footwear system.» Project Amplify is essentially an exoskeleton for the lower leg and foot that attaches to the shoe.
Nike has unveiled a new sneaker model that it calls «the world’s first electrically powered footwear system.» Project Amplify is essentially an exoskeleton for the lower leg and foot that attaches to the shoe.
According to Futurism, the shoes are reinforced with carbon fiber and use a motor, belt drive, and battery to amplify ankle movement. The company says the goal is to provide «unparalleled momentum for anyone who wants to move,» while «creating a new future for running, jogging, and walking.»
«This allows regular athletes to walk or run more often and for longer, while getting more enjoyment out of it — adding movement to their lives, increasing the distance they walk, or helping them enjoy their run for another mile or two,» Nike says.
Nike likened its project to «how electric bikes have made it easier to ride longer distances and more often.» The company has already earned a reputation for quirky concepts, including shoes that tie their own laces, a la Back to the Future.
«Amplify makes your 5K feel like a jog, and your jog feels like a leisurely walk,» a GQ reporter said after testing the model. He added that long flights of stairs that used to make him short of breath now «feel like an escalator.»
